Refrigerator with air conditioned receptacle



June 7, 1955 E. w. ZEARFOSS, JR., ETAL REFRIGERATOR WITH AIR CONDITIONEDRECEPTACLE Filed Oct. 7, 1952 2,799,990 Patented June 7, 1955REFRIGERATOR WITH AER CONDITIONED RECEPTACLE Elmer W. Zearfoss, In, andCharles .lames Reichardt, Philadelphia, Pa., assignors to PhileoCorporation, Philadelphia, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania AppiicationGetober 7, 1952, Serial No. 313,476

3 Claims. ((31. 621tt3) Our invention relates to refrigerationapparatus, being especially concerned with the provision of novelfacilities for storing foods and maintaining them under optimumtemperature conditions.

More particularly, the present invention has to do with the storage ofcertain types of food, for example meat, within the main storagecompartment of a refrigerator of that type in which said storagecompartment is refrigerated by vertically disposed cooling means.

In considering the invention, it is to be borne in mind that it hasproven desirable to provide within a refrigerator cabinet both a freezercompartment and a main storage compartment maintained at a temperatureabove the freezing point of Water, and in which may be preserved freshfruits, vegetables, or other foodstuffs, which should not be subjectedto sub-freezing temperatures. A desirable way of constructing such arefrigerator comprises dividing the space defined by the inner liner ofthe cabinet into upper and lower compartments by means of a generallyhorizontal partition which thermally isolates the two compartments andprevents contact of the air within the main, lower compartment with thelow temperature evaporator which cools the upper compartment. In orderto refrigerate the lower compartment, it is known to provide avertically extending refrigerated surface associated with, or comprisedof, at least a part of a wall of said lower compartment. One suchrefrigerator is disclosed and claimed in the co-pcnding application ofMalcolm G. Shoemaker, bearing Serial No. 296,995, filed July 3, 1952,and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

While constructions of this general character are well known and areadvantageous, they have been found in practice to be subject to adisadvantage in that the lack of a horizontally extending refrigeratedsurface within, or in communication with, the main food storagecompartment makes it diflicult to provide within that compartment a zoneor space maintained under conditions suitable for the storage of certainfoods, and particularly meats. Meats which are to be used after arelatively short storage period should be maintained at a temperatureintermediate the average temperature prevailing within the main foodstorage compartment and that maintained at the evaporator. In manyconventional designs a meat storage receptacle is disposed just beneatha horizontally extending evaporator, but, as will be understood, thissolution is not available in a refrigerator of the kind to which thisinvention relates. Also, mere provision of a covered receptacle withinthe main food storage compartment of such a refrigerator does notconstitute an entirely satisfactory solution, since the temperaturewithin that receptacle will be higher than that of said maincompartment, and frequently too high for preservation of the foodsstored.

Accordingly, and with the foregoing in mind, it is the primary object ofour invention to overcome the foregoing diificulty by providing a novelmeat receptacle, and by so relating it to the evaporator which cools thecomand providing access thereto.

partment housing the receptacle as to result in maintenance within saidreceptacle of temperatures within a desired optimum range. In theachievement of this gen eral obiective the invention contemplatesprovision of a storage receptacle having apertures providing for infiowand outflow of cooling air, the receptacle being so dis= posed withrespect to the vertically extending surface which cools the maincompartment as to cause the con vectional current of air which normallycirculates downwardly past said cooling surface to flow into and throughsaid receptacle. As will be clear from the following detaileddescription, such circulation of air through the receptacle may beachieved in a very simple manner by so disposing the receptacle that itsinflow aperture lies directly in the path of the convectional current ofair. However advan ageously, and as illustrated in the drawing, ductworkor baffle means is provided to assist in confining the air current in apath such that it flows toward and through the inflow aperture.

The invention is also featured by providing for storage within thereceptacle of moisture dropped from the vertically extending coolingmeans, and by controlling the flow of air through the receptacle in suchmanner that air entering the latter flows across the free surface ofstored moisture prior to passage through and exit from said receptacie,thereby assisting in the maintenance of the moist atmosphere desirablein such receptacles and, to the extent that such moisture is vaporizedand added to the circulating air, accomplishing further cooling of thecontents of the receptacle.

In one aspect of the invention it is also an object that provision ismade for varying the temperature within the receptacle.

The manner in which the foregoing objects and advantages of ourinvention may best be achieved will be understood from a considerationof the following detailed description, taken together with theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a front elevational view of a. refrigerator embodying theinvention, the view being taken with the door structure omitted;

Figure 2 is a side view, largely in section, illustrating the novelmanner in which cooling air is caused to flow into and through thereceptacle; and

Figures 3 and 4 are, respectively, fragmentary perspective and sectionalillustrations showing certain constructional features of the receptacle.

Now making more detailed reference to the drawing, it will be seen thatthe invention is therein illustrated as embodied in a household ordomestic refrigerator comprising an outer shell 10 and a liner member 11spaced inwardly of an insulator from the outer shell 10 by any suitableinsulation, shown at 12. A pair of doors seat against the forward faceof the cabinet, sealing the same It will be understood that therefrigerator also includes circulating means, for example acompressor-condenser unit of any desired type, but illustration of thisportion of the apparatus is not necessary herein since the presentinvention is not concerned therewith.

As indicated above, and as clearly appears in the drawing, therefrigerator is of the type in which the space within the inner liner 11is sub-divided into an upper relatively low temperature freezercompartment which, in the embodiment shown, is defined by an evaporator13, and a lower main food storage compartment 14, division beingeffected by means of a partition designated by the reference character15. As is clear from consideration of Figures 1 and 2, the partitionspans the width and depth of the space defined by the inner liner 11,and is so shaped and disposed within the cabinet as thermally to isolatethe two compartments, preventing contact of the air Within the mainlower compartment with the low temperature evaporator 13.

In order to refrigerate the lower compartment, it is provided with aplate-type evaporator 16 which defines a cooling surface extendingvertically within said lower compartment and associated with the rearwall of the latter. While, in the broader aspect of the presentinvention, a wall portion of the cabinet may comprise the coolingsurface, it is preferred that separate evaporator means be utilized forthis purpose. A circulatory, thermo-syphonic movement of air is set upby such an evaporator, the air flowing downwardly past the refrig eratedsurface, and upwardly along the opposite side of the compartment.

As will be understood without further description the two evaporators 13and 16 form parts of a refrigerating circuit which includes thecirculating means (not shown), the system being operated and controlledin accordance with known practice and in such manner as to achievedesired, predetermined storage temperatures within each of thecompartments. As indicated hereinabove the system may advantageously beof the type fully described and claimed in the co-pending Shoemakerdisclosure and, as such, the evaporator 16 may be caused to operatebetween upper and lower temperature limits such that moisture depositedin the form of frost upon the platelike surface of the evaporator 16 isperiodically melted, dropping freely therefrom to be disposed of in amanner presently to be described.-

Preferably, and as shown, the refrigerator includes in the lower portionthereof a pair of drawers or trays 17 and 18, these latter providing forstorage of fresh fruits, vegetables, and the like. Disposed above thedrawer 17, and supported upon a shelf 19, is a receptacle 20 adapted forthe storage of certain foods, for example, meats.

In particular accordance with the present invention this receptacle,which is box-like in form, is provided with ingress and egress openings21 and 22, respectively, through which may flow air adapted to cool thecontents of the receptacle.

As has been mentioned, meats which are to be used after a relativelyshort period of time should be maintained at a temperature somewhatlower than the average temperature prevailing within the main storagecompartment 14, and this result is achieved by use of the receptacle ofour invention, in novel combination with the vertically extendingevaporator 16. To effect the desired reduction in temperature within thereceptacle 26 provision is made to insure that at least a portion of theconvectional current of air, which normally circulates downwardly pastthe evaporator 16, flows into and through the receptacle.

It will be noted that the receptacle is disposed beneath the evaporator16, in order to obtain the greatest possible benefit from the aforesaidconvectional current, the ingress opening 21 being so disposed as to liein the path of the mentioned current. It will be appreciated that therewill be a tendency for cooled air entering the receptacle 20 to stratifytherein, thus insuring that at least those portions of the receptaclewhich lie below the level of the egress opening 22 will be maintained ata temperature intermediate the operating temperature of the evaporator16 and the average temperature of the air within the compartment 14.

Whereas disposition of the ingress opening 21 in the manner described,that is, in a position in which it lies in the path of the aircirculating downwardly past the evaporator 16, is alone SllfilClCl'll toachieve substantial cooling of the receptacle, it is desirable thatmeans be provided to increase this cooling effect. As clearly appears inthe drawing a duct 23 extends from a region beneath the lower edge ofevaporator 16 and into communication with the inflow opening 21. Thisduct serves a dual purpose, not only confining the air stream and thuspromoting the desired circulation of air through the refi l ceptacle,but also providing for delivery to the receptacle of moisture droppedfrom the evaporator under certain conditions of operation. In thisconnection it will be noted that a trough shown at 24 underlies thoseportions of the evaporator which are not spanned by the duct 23, anddelivers moisture falling from said portions to the interior of theduct. A limited part of the receptacle, shown at Zlla, is configured toprovide a sump to which moisture is delivered from the interior of theduct 23, the moisture being retained therein as shown in Figure 2. As isapparent from the drawing, the direction of air flow through thereceptacle is such that the cooling air flows across the free surface ofthe retained moisture, prior to passage through and exit from thereceptacle.

Although the mentioned circulatory flow of air through the receptacle isalone sufiicient to effect considerable cooling, collection of moisturewithin the receptacle is advantageous, since gradual evaporation of theaccumulated drain water assists in cooling the receptacle and moistensthe air passing therethrough to an extent sufficient to minimize anyslight drying of stored meat which might otherwise occur. In practice ithas been found that operation of the described apparatus results in aconsiderable lowering of the storage temperature, as compared to thatwhich prevails within a completely closed pan, and the relative humiditywithin the receptacle is maintained within an optimum range.

In order that it may be possible to control the temperature within thereceptacle, the apparatus includes means for impeding the flow of airtherethrough. This means is embodied in a combined damper device andhandle element (see Figures 3 and 4) having a forward portion 25, whichmay be gripped when it is desired to remove the receptacle, and arearward portion 26 extending downwardly between the forward wall of thereceptacle and the removable cover member 27. The portion 26 is providedwith an elongated aperture 28 which, through suitable manipulation ofscrew threaded adjusting elements 29, may be brought into registry withthe egress opening 22. As will be apparent, the size of opening 22 maybe varied by suitably adjusting the position of aperture 28 and, in thismanner, control of the temperature within the receptacle is achieved.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that by ourinvention there is provided improved refrigeration apparatus in whichthe problem of providing adequate storage facilities for meats and thelike is met in a highly advantageous manner, the invention beingparticularly characterized by the fact that it is possible to realizecompletely the benefits inherent in two-compartment refrigerators of thekind described, without any sacrifice of proper meat storage facilities.

We claim:

1. In refrigeration apparatus, a storage compartment, means providing acooling surface extending generally vertically within said compartment,a generally box-like storage receptacle extending in horizontalsubjacency to at least major portions of said surface, the rear portionof said receptacle being provided with an inflow passage and the forwardportion of said receptacle being provided with an outflow passage, saidreceptacle being so disposed with respect to said cooling surface thatsaid inflow passage lies in the path of the current of air whichcirculates downwardly past said cooling surface, said receptacle furtherincluding, in a region subjacent to said inflow passage, a portionadapted to receive and retain moisture dropped from said coolingsurface, and a combined air flow and water delivery duct extending froma region beneath the lower edge of said cooling surface andcommunicating with said inflow passage.

2. In refrigeration apparatus, a storage compartment, means presenting acooling surface extending generally vertically within said compartment,a substantially closed food storage tray extending in horizontalsubjacency to at least a substantial portion of said surface and havingair ingress and egress openings, a limited portion of the space withinsaid tray being configured to receive and retain moisture dropped fromsaid cooling surface, and means defining a passage disposed to receivesaid moisture and to deliver the same to said ingress opening fromwhence it flows to said limited portion, the construction andarrangement further being such that cooling air which circulatesdownwardly past said cooling surface also flows through said ingressopening, and thence passes through said tray and outwardly through saidegress opening, said moisture retaining portion of said tray being sodisposed with respect to the direction of air flow through the tray thatair entering said tray flows across the free surface of the retainedmoisture prior to passage through and exit from said tray.

3. In refrigeration apparatus, a generally rectangular storagecompartment having forward, rear and lateral walls, a plate typeevaporator extending generally vertically within said compartment anddisposed in close adjacency to one of said walls, a storage receptacledisposed at a level below the lower edge of said plate type evaporatorand having a back portion substantially underlying the said plate edgeand a forward portion extending toward a wall opposite said one wall,said receptacle being provided with an air ingress opening disposed inan upper part of the back portion thereof and an air egress openingdisposed in the forward portion thereof, and duct means extendingbetween said lower edge of said plate type evaporator and said ingressopening and through which air flowing downwardly past said evaporator iscaused to flow into said receptacle from whence it passes outwardlythrough said egress opening and into said compartment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,717,459 Lundgaard June 18, 1929 2,064,926 Kuebler Dec. 22, 19362,219,833 Atchison Oct. 29, 1940 2,539,105 Rosebrook Jan. 23, 1951

